So quiet now...

I played again after a couple weeks (last time I really played must have been late November/early December) and it was so, so quiet everywhere I went.

Lion's Arch, despite having a short overflow, was extremely quiet. No one talking, no LFG's for anything, no Guild Ads (I mean there are, but very, very few) and not even any spam bots. I don't miss the spammers, though. Are people not playing, or are they just grouping differently now? Perhaps everyone has jumped on board Gw2LFG?

WvW is almost the same thing (BL). The most "conversation" I've seen since returning was a troll and his feeders. Commanders talk, but that means like 3 - 5 people talking at once.

Chat is so empty seemingly everywhere that I'm curious if that many people have just left or if GW2 is simply not a social game. I was legitimately startled at how quiet chat was when I returned. Has anyone who's been playing noticed this?

Surprised at how many people suddenly turned up to rez me having fell of a wall. Didn't realize they were around until I needed help. Often lots of people around for certain events. World is populated even in low/middle zones. Only really have guild/say displayed on my chat so not very vocal. Doesn't mean I'm not around.

I played again after a couple weeks (last time I really played must have been late November/early December) and it was so, so quiet everywhere I went.

Lion's Arch, despite having a short overflow, was extremely quiet. No one talking, no LFG's for anything, no Guild Ads (I mean there are, but very, very few) and not even any spam bots. I don't miss the spammers, though. Are people not playing, or are they just grouping differently now? Perhaps everyone has jumped on board Gw2LFG?

WvW is almost the same thing (BL). The most "conversation" I've seen since returning was a troll and his feeders. Commanders talk, but that means like 3 - 5 people talking at once.

Chat is so empty seemingly everywhere that I'm curious if that many people have just left or if GW2 is simply not a social game. I was legitimately startled at how quiet chat was when I returned. Has anyone who's been playing noticed this?

People quit playing once they found out there was nothing really to do post level 80 or found the cosmetic items worth getting post 80 just took too damn long. This game just isn't as much fun as GW1 was or is and many left back for the ole carrot in front of the horse games like WOW and RIFT. The ride to lvl 80 was fun enough but that only lasts so long and then pffft the game is over for many. Only the diehards will remain and think this is the greatest MMO ever made but of course the majority of gamers who still play WOW and RIFT and other older MMO's prove that wrong.

People quit playing once they found out there was nothing really to do post level 80 or found the cosmetic items worth getting post 80 just took too damn long. This game just isn't as much fun as GW1 was or is and many left back for the ole carrot in front of the horse games like WOW and RIFT. The ride to lvl 80 was fun enough but that only lasts so long and then pffft the game is over for many. Only the diehards will remain and think this is the greatest MMO ever made but of course the majority of gamers who still play WOW and RIFT and other older MMO's prove that wrong.

I was just playing today in Queensdale and everywhere I went there were two or three people. I started doing the queen wasp event and then 10 players ran up from nowhere. Plenty of players in the game.

I was just playing today in Queensdale and everywhere I went there were two or three people. I started doing the queen wasp event and then 10 players ran up from nowhere. Plenty of players in the game.

Unfortunately its one of the only active zones. I play on arguably the most populated server and queensdale seems to be the only zone with a healthy population. I am in belief that it is due to the dailies being done there.

Unfortunately its one of the only active zones. I play on arguably the most populated server and queensdale seems to be the only zone with a healthy population. I am in belief that it is due to the dailies being done there.

The day before I was in Malcor's Leap and there were the most players I've seen in the area, almost as many as in Queensdale. Before that I was in Lornar's Pass with an "abnormally high" population wherever I went too. From personal experience it isn't just Queensdale. Might be a surge from guesting that allows more people to more easily play together.

Also, I remade my ele and invited two brand new players into my party that joined. We talked and played together for about half of Queensdale.

I played again after a couple weeks (last time I really played must have been late November/early December) and it was so, so quiet everywhere I went.

Lion's Arch, despite having a short overflow, was extremely quiet. No one talking, no LFG's for anything, no Guild Ads (I mean there are, but very, very few) and not even any spam bots. I don't miss the spammers, though. Are people not playing, or are they just grouping differently now? Perhaps everyone has jumped on board Gw2LFG?

WvW is almost the same thing (BL). The most "conversation" I've seen since returning was a troll and his feeders. Commanders talk, but that means like 3 - 5 people talking at once.

Chat is so empty seemingly everywhere that I'm curious if that many people have just left or if GW2 is simply not a social game. I was legitimately startled at how quiet chat was when I returned. Has anyone who's been playing noticed this?

Both, tons and tons of people have left because once you hit max level and plateau there is only so many times you can rinse and repeat the same thing AND because the social integration of this game was so poorly implemented people haven't connected enough to keep each other playing. This all goes back to the crux of Guild Wars 2, its built on a solid foundation of good ideas but seems to have floundered dramatically in the little things that keep a game going in the long run (I think due to a lack of testing (both player and internal) that would have shown in the first 5 sec what does work and what is clumsy and doesn't).

The starter zone being populated is both worrying, but encouraging at the same time. In essence, it is proof that people are still purchasing the game. On the contrary, a starter zone being the only real populous area means more experienced players are "giving up" the game, or run out of things to do (i.e. don't find cosmetics an appropriate reward) so start the grind again on another profession.

All other zones are just a few players who are doing 2 things. Firstly, either leveling there, or secondly players attempting for 100% world completion .

There is no real reason to go back to some zones - I am currently close to my first 100% character (93% so far) and I most certainly will not return to a zone such as Sparkfly Den or Iron Marches for things that are not achievement relate (queue the "achievement whore" comments). There is just no real reason to go back.

Hence why people just LOL about in Lion's Arch, or mess about in WvW and perhaps falls asleep outside COF waiting for a farm group.

I'd like to reiterrate - other zones are dead as there is very little to no reason to return to them.

Over the past week I have been mapping like a mad man hitting nearly all of the zones at some point and time. No matter where or time of day when an event started people came out of the woodwork.

Granted the chat was barren. But if people play like I do with guildies in the room or on vent and hands superglued to mouse/wasdv; there isn't much need nor opportunity to type in chat more than the occasional "gj", "ty" or "yw".

The starter zone being populated is both worrying, but encouraging at the same time. In essence, it is proof that people are still purchasing the game. On the contrary, a starter zone being the only real populous area means more experienced players are "giving up" the game, or run out of things to do (i.e. don't find cosmetics an appropriate reward) so start the grind again on another profession.

It's not just low levels hanging out in Queensdale........a lot of high levels hang out there too, some doing dailies and some the level 40 dungeon or working on 100% completion.
If you need help for an event post it in map chat with the waypoint link. More often than not, there will be a ton of people show up.

I think this is more of a server issue more than anything. If you want more people to talk to, then switch. From my experience, TC is a good choice if you want a talkative server.

As for people who are in overflow not talking, they are probably in voice chat or just not in the mood to talk. Why not start the conversation yourself? I'm sure someone will bite the bait.

It's not that I'm looking for conversation, really. I've just noticed a surprising decrease in chatter since returning that made me curious (and hoping that it wasn't indicative of the state of the player base). I would have thought LA was a ghost town if not for the fact that I'd just transferred in from overflow. The first thing I did after I noticed the eerie silence was check the server pop. and it was still "Very High".

Out of curiosity, is there a reason people prefer to do Daily's in Queensdale? I've only gotten two of these Laurel's.

One of the issues, and one that has been mentioned previously is that while you are in the midst of playing, it is not really conducive (with the active nature of combat) to stop to type chat with those around you. This doesn't really explain the whole lack of chat in LA on your server, but in other areas it does.

That being said, just recently I have had no lack of players on Sanctum of Rall, much like this:

ShezuTsukai, on 17 February 2013 - 04:34 AM, said:

Over the past week I have been mapping like a mad man hitting nearly all of the zones at some point and time. No matter where or time of day when an event started people came out of the woodwork.

Granted the chat was barren. But if people play like I do with guildies in the room or on vent and hands superglued to mouse/wasdv; there isn't much need nor opportunity to type in chat more than the occasional "gj", "ty" or "yw".

Guess it might come down to play style.

....I have been running around on lower level characters completing maps left and right and running into lots of people, comparably. Just the other day I ran both Kessex and Gendarren and had quite the group running around doing DEs, hearts and other various things throughout the map. It was kinda nice to see a bunch of people, especially since my RL schedule usually dictates that I am able to play at very odd hours (IE, 5am until 7am CST) when there are very few people around on NA servers.

Part of it may be perception, part of it may be the time that people are playing....without solid, concrete numbers from Anet, which ones of us really know one way or the other? Has the population dropped from the very beginning at launch? Of course, most online games nowadays have that same phenomenon where people play for the first week, or month or whatever and then leave. Its not surprising.

You do realize that a ton of people at 200lb per person is only 10 people? But, I'll be fair and give an avg weight of 150lbs and that still would only be 13 people. Hardly a huge population of players. lol

It's the ole hardcore syndrome and belief that just because there are 10, 20 even 30 people playing where I'm playin then there must be the same on every server and place in the game. haha Which as we know there aren't.

Queensdale is popular for dailies because it is fairly quick and easy to do....lots of quick spawning events, lots of enemy variety, lots of gathering nodes, etc.

Also, NO RISEN! I'm sick of them and so are many others. Wayfarer Foothills also has lots of people and a lively map chat.

On topic, no the game is still quite lively and vibrant - at least my server is. Mostly in starter and end game zones, the mid-level areas are a bit more desolate. And LA is, as usual, always on overflow (though that's probably because of the Fractals).

You do realize that a ton of people at 200lb per person is only 10 people? But, I'll be fair and give an avg weight of 150lbs and that still would only be 13 people. Hardly a huge population of players. lol

It's the ole hardcore syndrome and belief that just because there are 10, 20 even 30 people playing where I'm playin then there must be the same on every server and place in the game. haha Which as we know there aren't.

This argument can be applied to both sides of the issue. It's just as easy to say "I see no one where I am, it must be like that everywhere, so therefore this game must be dying."

A lot of this particular discussion comes down to perception and how well it is generalized to the greater population. Let's face it, no one really knows beyond a shadow of a doubt what sort of numbers are still playing the game, and until Anet releases that info, we won't know one way or the other and it is all based on subjective, anecdotal "evidence" that is circumstantial at best.